BEST MASKNE TREATMENTS - ZITSTICKA KILLA ZIT PATCHES FOR MASK ACNE AROUND THE MOUTH
This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Best Maskne Treatments - Zitsticka Killa Zit Patches, Balm Labs Clear Balm Serum, Skinfix 911 Ointment and Self/Ish Exfoliating Pads. You can catch the full piece here.
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I consider myself lucky for a lot of things. I’ve traveled the world — from Cape Town to Tokyo, Singapore to Moscow. I found what I love to do (write!) early on in my career and it nourishes me every single day.
And, I haven’t experienced maskne — until very recently. My luck ran out I guess!
Two weeks ago, I got a blemish just to the side of my right nostril. It got big and awful! Then, two days later, another blemish formed just below my bottom lip. Ugh, again?!
I knew things were out of whack when one also appeared along my jawline at just about the same time. Suddenly, I had three blemishes going on at once. I was mortified. That hasn’t happened in twenty years.
It was my first attack of the dreaded maskne!
If you haven’t yet experienced maskne, you likely will. I like to think that I take phenomenally great care of my skin, doing everything I know how to to keep my pores clear and refreshed each day. If you’re experiencing maskne now, I feel your pain!
What is maskne and how do you treat maskne?
I found a really good piece in Shape magazine from a couple of months ago titled, 'Maskne' Is a Very Real Thing—Here's How to Beat Face Mask Breakouts. You can catch the full article here.
What is 'maskne' and why does it happen?
Maskne occurs when sweat, skin oils, and bacteria are trapped on the skin while wearing your mask, says Elizabeth Mullans, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Uptown Dermatology in Houston, Texas. Face masks can cause irritation by either physically rubbing against the skin, which can damage the skin's protective barrier, or by trapping moisture, which can cause acne, she adds.
This type of acne is called acne mechanica, which includes any skin issues due to pressure, friction, rubbing, squeezing, or stretching. It's different from other kinds of acne (like the pimples that show up around your period, for example, which are hormonal) because it occurs only in areas where the mask sits against the skin, says Ife J. Rodney, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and founding director of Eternal Dermatology Aesthetics in Fulton, Maryland. “In healthy skin, there are normal amounts of bacteria and yeast that live there, but when pores become clogged because of excess sweat and moisture from the mask, these organisms overgrow, leading to pimples or acne cysts,” she explains.
Fortunately, I have everything I need to take care of these new, sudden and irritating breakouts all around my mouth and nose. And I didn’t think it would be very kind of me not to pay it forward, as they say. If maskne can happen to me, it can happen to you!
So, I’ve put together what I call the Skincarma Maskne Essentials — a collection of the best products to treat maskne and best skincare to prevent maskne from occurring in the first place.
My maskne essentials include: Zitsticka Killa Patches, SELF/ish Exfoliating Pads, Balm Labs Clear Balm Serum Hydrator and Skinfix Remedy+ 911 Ointment.
Zitsticka | Killa Patches
Of course the first time you realize you’re dealing with maskne is when you start seeing blemishes, irritation and dryness where you don’t normally experience it.
For me, I normally get a blemish or two each month in my bearded area, the places were I shave. Or don’t shave! If I haven’t shaven for three days — and god forbid, four! — I will likely be dealing with an unsightly zit. Now I have to manage it around my mouth, too?!
My go-to solution for zit-zapping is the Zitsticka zit patches. They’re ideal for the every-once-in-a-while blemish. They’re not the best treatment for blemish prone skin or for regular acne breakouts. If you get a blemish once or twice a week, a Zitsticka zit patch is the perfect solution.
If you deal with blemish-prone skin and more frequent acne, a Balm Labs skin-clearing regimen is what I would recommend. (More on Balm Labs in a minute!)
The second I see an acne blemish, I pop on one of Zitsticka’s KILLA patches and go about my day. Before bed, I do it again. Almost without fail, by morning, if it’s not completely gone, it’s at least not very visible — unless you’re like right up on top of me. Umm which isn’t smart in the time of Covid. So, from six feet away, no one will see you wearing a zit patch — especially with a mask on!
Seriously though, they work every time. In fact, they’re the only acne spot treatment I’ve ever tried that actually works to reliably eliminate a blemish.
Why? Because each of Zitsticka’s KILLA patches isolates the spot to prevent the zit from getting worse — and prevent you from touching it. (You know you always do!) The formula embedded in the patch contains a blend of Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Oligopeptide-76 and Salicylic Acid that combine to stop the zit in its tracks and begin the healing process without drying out and tormenting your skin even further.
Each patch is loaded with good stuff that treats your skin well — as the formula kills the zit. So, as a solution for incidental acne, Zitsticka is the best treatment for maskne blemishes.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Zitsticka Killa Patches for $29 here.
The Ingredient List of the Zitsticka Killa Patches:
sii|h, Oligopeptide-76, Salicylic Acid 
exf|aacne|so|pres, Niacinamide cci|sb|aacne|h, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Tea Tree Oil so|aacne|aox|amic|perf, Vitamin E aox 0-3 0-3, Alcohol 
amic|solv|vcThe Ingredient List of the Balm Labs Clear Balm Serum Hydrator:
Water (Aqua), Squalane, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Lecithin, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, Yeast Extract, Soy Amino Acids, Cannabidiol, Caprylyl Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Maltodextrin, Bixa Orellana Seed Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hyaluronic Acid.
The Ingredient List of the SELF/ish Exfoliating Pads:
Aqua, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, DMI, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Willow Bark Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Mandelic Acid, Malic Acid, Gallic Acid, Ferulic Acid, Ellagic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Bakuchiol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lactic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Linoleic Acid, Tocopherol, Linolenic Acid, Oleic Acid, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Limonene, Linalool.
The Ingredient List of the Skinfix Remedy+ 911 Ointment:
emo 0 0, Beeswax emo|vc|emu|perf 0 0-2, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter emo|vc, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuaçu) Seed Butter, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract so|emo|h, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil emo, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil emo|perf 0 4, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emo 0 0-2, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Bisabolol so
